The newest reincarnation of the proposed Global Miami Plan crossed the desks of the Associated Student Government (ASG) student senate Tuesday night and received its stampof approval.
ASG reviewed the proposed restructuring submitted by the Liberal Education Committee (LEC) and chose to support it with 26 votes in favor and six opposed.
Nathan Zwayer, a student member of the LEC, explained that this most recent version of the Global Miami Plan has been in the works for some time.
"We (LEC) have discussed this for almost a year now," Zwayer said. "This is the fruits of our labor over hours and hours of discussion."
Bethany Bowyer, Miami sophomore and secretary for academic affairs, explained that this final version does not require students to complete any additional credit hours in order to graduate.
"There was no change in the amount of hours," Bowyer said. "If anything, it could reduce (the amount of hours required)."
Even though the proposed changes give students an added incentive to study abroad by offering them a three-hour reduction in required credit hours, Zwayer explained that the LEC developed flexible options for students who do not study abroad.
"If anything, (the revisions) open (the Miami Plan) up," Zwayer said. "There are three different options to incorporate study abroad and global courses within the Miami Plan."
These three options are the new plan's major changes. According to the Miami University General Bulletin, Miami Plan Foundation (MPF) III requirements currently call for students to complete a total of six credit hours: three in a United States Cultures class and three in a World Cultures class.
The revisions allow students to fulfill MPF III by selecting from a six-hour study abroad program, nine credit hours of to-be-defined global (G)-designated courses or a nine credit hour global cluster (G-cluster)-similar to the thematic sequence currently in the Miami Plan.
"The G-cluster is what's new," Bowyer said. "It allows students to take classes in a sequence together and allows students to study something a little more in depth."
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According to the LEC proposal, the global cluster is a series of three or more courses that focus on a particular global theme or issue.
Bowyer explained that academic departments will propose global clusters within their department and send them to LEC for approval.
"A G-cluster is not necessarily a foreign language course," Zwayer said. "They can come from any department that wants to submit a global cluster."
Students who do not wish to take a global cluster can instead participate in a six-hour Miami-approved study abroad program or select nine credit hours of G-designated courses.
"Before the end of the school year, we will develop global requirements for G-courses," Zwayer said. "As of right now, there are no designated G-course requirements."
To balance everything out, MPF II requirements were reduced from 12 hours to 9 hours in fine arts, humanities and social science courses.
Senior senator James Hollis was among several students who voiced concerns that the new plan would further restrict students' academic choices and confuse students even more.
"My objections to this don't come from not believing that having a global perspective is not worthwhile, it just seems like a bureaucratic mess," Hollis said. "It seems like it's going to limit students more than encourage them."
Melonia Bennett, secretary to the executive cabinet and co-author of the bill, explained that although the bill offers general support for the proposed changes, it includes several reservations.
"We like the direction this is going in, but we want to make sure that the university is prepared and thinking about these other issues while changing our curriculum," Bennett said.
These other issues mentioned in the bill encourage Miami to focus on helping students find financial aid for study abroad, improving academic advising to inform students of the new requirements and committing resources to improve the foreign language departments.
Overall, support for the bill was strong among ASG senators.
Brendan Buholzer, ASG treasurer, stressed that changes like this could really move Miami forward and set it apart from other American universities.
Laura Walaszek, vice president of campus activities, agreed and hopes that the changes will broaden Miami students' views into a more globalized perspective.
"Overall, I think it's a step in the right direction to challenge Miami students to see beyond Oxford, Ohio," Walaszek said. "I think it's not an overwhelming burden; it's really just a re-tinkering of the Miami Plan."
The proposed changes to the Miami Plan will move on to university senate, where they will be heard at the March 31 meeting.
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